1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auger type ice-making machine which manufactures chip-form or flake-form ice by freezing ice-making water that is supplied to the interior of a freezer casing while rotating an auger in the interior of this freezer casing via a geared motor.
2. Related Background Art
Various sorts of auger type ice-making machines have been proposed in the past (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H 10-2645 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No S 59-18363). In such auger type ice-making machines, an auger (screw) is supported inside a tubular freezer casing between an ice compression head that is disposed above the freezer casing and a housing that is disposed below the freezer casing, so that this auger can rotate. Furthermore, while ice-making water that is supplied to the interior of the freezer casing is frozen, the auger rotates via a geared motor connected to the lower end of the auger inside the housing, so that sorbet-like ice produced by the freezing of this ice-making water is introduced into the ice compression head. This sorbet-like ice is compressed by the ice compression head to produce chip-form or flake-form ice.
An ice discharge tube which regulates the discharge direction of the manufactured ice is attached to the upper part of the freezer casing of such an auger type ice-making machine. This ice discharge tube is generally made of a resin, and is fastened by bolts or the like to a flange that is attached to the metal (stainless steel) ice-making cylinder that accommodates the auger. Specifically, this flange forms an attachment base for the ice discharge tube. The ice discharge tube needs to be fastened securely because a certain load is applied when being pushed by the ice that is compressed and discharged. For this reason, the flange that constitutes the attachment base for the ice discharge tube is generally fastened to the ice-making cylinder by welding.
However, if the flange is fastened directly to the ice-making cylinder by welding or brazing, sometimes as light strain is generated in the ice-making cylinder, and it is concerned that the rotation of the auger is impeded by an abnormal load or the like caused by the attachment of the internal ice compression head or variation in the ice film that is produced inside the ice-making cylinder. Furthermore, as welding or brazing processes themselves also involve extra effort, a considerable amount of labor is required in the flange fastening work. In addition, the portion of the ice-making cylinder that is located in the vicinity of the ice compression head is a location where a slight expansion and contraction are repeated, so that stress fluctuations are generated, and there are maintenance problems in that stripping of the welded portions or the like may occur as a result of such stress fluctuations, so that the flange falls off.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an auger type ice-making machine in which the fastening of the ice discharge tube can be accomplished in a simple manner, and wherein manufacture and maintenance of the ice-making machine are easy.
An auger type ice-making machine according to the present invention comprises a tubular freezer casing which has an ice-making cylinder that rotatably accommodates an auger inside, an ice compression head which rotatably supports the upper end of the auger, and which is disposed on the upper part of the freezer casing, a housing which rotatably supports the lower end of the auger, and which is disposed under the lower part of the freezer casing, a geared motor which is connected to the lower part of the housing, and which performs rotational driving of the auger. And the auger type ice-making machine according to the present further comprises a flange constituting an attachment base for an ice discharge tube that is attached to the upper part of the freezer casing. And, in the auger type ice-making machine according to the present, the flange is fastened to the ice-making cylinder by means of bolts that fasten the ice compression head to the interior of the ice-making cylinder.
It is preferable here that the flange has an outer cylinder in which through-holes for the bolts are formed, and a dew receiving dish that captures condensed water that is condensed in the vicinity of the bolts is connected to the outer cylinder.